Rogaland
is a county in Norway, bordering Hordaland, Telemark, Aust-Agder, and Vest-Agder. It is the center of the Norwegian petroleum industry; as a result of that, Rogaland has the lowest unemployment rate of any county in Norway, 1.1%.http://www.nav.no/805350468.cms, Norwegian article on unemployment from www.nav.no Etymology Rogaland is the Old Norse name of the region - revived in modern times. (Until 1919 the name of the county was Stavanger amt.) The first element is the plural genitive case of rygir, the name of an old Germanic tribe (see Rugians). The last element is land n 'land, region'. See also Hordaland Coat-of-arms The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1974). It shows the old stone cross in Sola, erected in memory of Erling Skjalgsson after his death in 1028. Geography Rogaland is mainly a coastal region with fjords, beaches, and islands, the principal island being Karmøy. Boknafjorden is the largest bay, with many fjords branching off from it. The third largest urban area of Norway is located in Rogaland. Stavanger, along with Sandnes, Randaberg, and Sola, is ranked above Trondheim Cities/towns: Stavanger, Sandnes, Haugesund, Egersund, Sauda, Bryne, Kopervik, and Skudenshavn. Karmøy has large deposits of copper (some of which was used in the construction of the Statue of Liberty). Rogaland is the most important region for oil and gas exploration in Norway, and is one of the country's most important agricultural districts. History In the district are remains from the earliest times, such as the excavations in a cave at Viste in Randaberg (Svarthola). These include the find of a skeleton of a boy from the Stone Age. Various archeological findings stem from the following times, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. Many crosses in Irish style have been found. Rogaland was called Rygjafylke in the Viking Age. Before Harald Fairhair and the Battle of Hafrsfjord, it was a petty kingdom. The Rugians were a tribe possibly connected with Rogaland. Administrative divisions The county is conventionally divided into traditional districts. These are Haugalandet north of Boknafjorden, Ryfylke in the mountainous east, and Jæren to the southwest and Dalane in the far south. Rogaland has a total of 26 municipalities: Bjerkreim Bokn Eigersund Finnøy Forsand Gjesdal Hå Haugesund Hjelmeland Karmøy Klepp Kvitsøy Lund Randaberg Rennesøy Sandnes Sauda Sokndal Sola Stavanger Strand Suldal Time Tysvær Utsira Vindafjord Culture A series of festivals and congresses of international fame and profile are arranged, such as The Chamber Music Festival, The Maijazz Festival, The Gladmat (lit. food with a happy smile) Festival, and The ONS event, which has been held in Stavanger every second year since 1974. The ONS is a major international conference and exhibition with focus on oil and gas, and other topics from the petroleum industry. The Concert Hall and Music Complex at Bjergsted and the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra provide important inspiration in the Norwegian musical environment. Another annual event in Stavanger is The World Tour Beach Volleyball. During this tournament, the downtown is converted into a beach volleyball arena. Tourism Rogaland is home to many natural wonders, like Prekestolen, Kjerag, and Gloppedalsura. In Stavanger, there is an archeological museum with many artifacts from early history in Rogaland. An Iron Age farm at Ullandhaug in Stavanger is reconstructed on the original farm site dating back to 350-500 AD. The Viking Farm is a museum located at Karmøy. External links * Rogaland County Council - Official site * County web site (English) Last update: 2001 * Map * Region Stavanger Official tourism site for the Stavanger region * Google Map * Maps City, District and Regional maps - Rogaland References Category:Counties of Norway Category:Rogaland Category:Petty kingdoms of Norway